Best Song Request App for DJs in 2026: An Honest Comparison

Blog

May 3, 2026·

You’re deep in a set, the floor is moving, and someone taps your shoulder to request the one track guaranteed to make everyone else stop dancing. Song request apps exist so that doesn’t happen. Guests scan a QR code, search a catalogue, hit submit and the request lands on your screen without anyone breathing down your neck or touching your gear.

The problem is there are a lot of these tools now, and they’re all quite different. Some are built around monetising every request through tips or bidding. Some are purpose-built for weddings and mobile gigs, and some suit bar residencies and recurring club nights. This guide walks through the apps DJs and venues actually use, what each one is good at, where each one falls short, and which one to pick depending on your gigs.

Yes, this is published on the Rekwest blog, so we have skin in the game. But the only way a comparison like this is useful is if it tells you when to pick a different tool. So we will, where it makes sense.

What actually matters when picking one of these

Before we get into individual apps, here is the short list of things that decide whether a song request platform earns its place at your gigs:

Guest friction. How many taps from “scan QR” to “song requested.” Anything that asks guests to download an app, sign up, or pay before submitting will lose half your audience.
Queue control. Can you accept, decline, set rules, lock down the repertoire, or auto filter requests? At a wedding cocktail hour you do not want explicit tracks slipping through.
Setup time per event. A tool that needs 20 minutes of configuration before each gig is not a tool, it is a chore.
Streaming and DJ software integration. Accepted requests should flow into Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, SoundCloud, Serato, Rekordbox, Virtual DJ, djay, or Traktor without you typing anything twice.
Price. Per event pricing eats your margin. Flat monthly pricing scales. Free tiers that actually work are rare.

We graded every app below against these five.

Rekwest

Rekwest is the platform we built. It powers song requests for over 115,000 users worldwide across mobile DJs, club DJs, wedding DJs, live bands, radio stations, karaoke nights, and event venues. Guests scan a QR code, search a catalog pulled from Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, or SoundCloud (or your own repertoire / crates), and submit a request. No app, no sign up.

What we are good at

Free tier that is actually free. Unlimited events, unlimited guests, unlimited requests, and integrations with Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud at zero cost.
Real DJ software integration. Accepted requests sync into Serato, Rekordbox, Virtual DJ, djay, or Traktor, so you stop retyping titles.
Repertoire control. On Pro, restrict requests to your own crates or a curated list. Pair that with automation rules to auto accept or auto decline based on conditions.
Venue grade features. Recurring events, kiosk mode, locked event pages, white label theming, and automatic post event marketing emails on Enterprise.
Multi platform native apps. iOS, Android, macOS, and Web. The macOS app matters for venues running a desktop in the booth.
Tipping and donations. Optional or required tips, VIP guest features, and messages on requests, processed via Stripe.

What we are honest about

The free tier does not include TIDAL search or the universal QR code. Those are Pro features.
We do not have a built in Music Bingo game or a dedicated lyrics player with chord storage. If those are central to your show, Lime DJ is a better fit.
We do not offer SMS based requests. If your gigs are in venues with patchy connectivity or your crowd is older, RequestNow’s SMS option fills a gap we don’t.

Pricing

Free, Pro at $6.99 per month, Enterprise at $34.99 per month. Pricing is the same everywhere; there is no per event surcharge.

Lime DJ

Lime DJ is a browser based song request and audience engagement platform used by DJs in 148 countries. It is one of the broader tools in the category, with feature breadth that goes well beyond requests.

What’s good

Engagement extras. Music Bingo, photo album with audience uploads, live slideshows, song request scoreboards, and karaoke accolades. If your show leans on engagement gimmicks, this is the toolbox.
Lyrics and chord storage. A dedicated lyrics player with BPM, key, and Camelot data, sourced via GetSongbpm. Sharp for piano bar and karaoke operators.
Custom song database. Upload your own catalog with multiple lists by genre, including censoring controls.
Tipping flexibility. Stripe based, with optional or mandatory tipping and per song tip requirements.
Multi language guest pages. 100+ languages.

What’s not so good

No DJ software integration. Requests live in the Lime DJ web interface; you bridge them to Serato or Rekordbox manually.
Spotify only for catalog search. No native Apple Music, TIDAL, or SoundCloud catalog browsing.
No native macOS or Android app. iOS app is notifications only. Everything else is browser based.
Free tier is demo only. The real entry point is Basic at $14 per month.

Pricing

Basic at $14 per month ($13 yearly), Pro at $19 per month ($17 yearly), Pro+ at $35 per month ($32 yearly). Music Bingo is an additional $9 to $19 per month. See the full Rekwest vs Lime DJ comparison for a head to head.

RequestNow

RequestNow takes a different angle. It leans on SMS based requests with a dedicated local area code phone number per event, alongside QR and web access.

What’s good

SMS access. Genuinely useful when guests are older, when WiFi is unreliable, or when QR codes feel like too much friction for the crowd.
SetList feature. Curated repertoire that musicians can offer guests to pick from.
Polished tipping flow. Built into the SMS and web request process.
Photo wall (Momento) and blast messaging. Solid post event engagement and follow up.

What’s not so good

No streaming integration. Guests submit free text song titles, which means typos and missing tracks land in your queue.
No DJ software integration. Same retype problem as Lime DJ.
No free tier. Lite at $7 per month is the cheapest entry but functionality is limited.
Pricing climbs fast. Unlimited Pro is $30 per month for solo operators, which is over four times the cost of Rekwest Pro.

Pricing

Lite at $7 per month, Pay Per Event at $19 per event, Unlimited Pro at $30 per month, custom for venues and large events. See the full Rekwest vs RequestNow comparison for a deeper breakdown.

NoSongRequests

NoSongRequests.com reports 16,000+ live performers and 3 million plus fans on the platform. It is a strong tipping focused tool, especially in the US.

What’s good

Tipping with broad wallet support. Credit card, Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, Cash App, and M-Pesa, which is unusually wide for the category.
Sorting tools. BPM, key, energy, danceability, era, and genre sorting on the request list.
Performer business page. Centralizes shoutouts, merch sales, ticket sales, and booking inquiries alongside requests.
Request alerts via SMS or email. Useful when you are mid set and not glued to the screen.

What’s not so good

No Apple Music or TIDAL catalog search. Pro integrates with Beatsource and SoundCloud, but Apple Music users are out of luck.
No repertoire restriction. You get every request that comes in, with sorting to triage.
No kiosk mode or universal QR. Not built around venue style multi event workflows.
Starter tier caps requests. Heavy users hit the limit fast and have to upgrade.

Pricing

Free Starter (with monthly request cap), Pro at around $10 per month, Elite at around $20 per month for DJ companies running multiple performer accounts. See the full Rekwest vs NoSongRequests comparison for the side by side.

RequestBox

RequestBox takes a different shape entirely. It is a free mobile app for hosts who just want to collect song ideas without managing playback.

What’s good

Truly free. No paid tier, no in app purchases, ever.
Voting baked in. Guests can vote on each other’s requests to surface what the room actually wants.
PIN code privacy. Optional PIN keeps your box private to invited guests.
Spotify search. Decent guest search experience for a free product.

What’s not so good

Mobile app required for guests. Every guest has to download iOS or Android. At any event larger than a small house party, this kills engagement.
No music playback. RequestBox explicitly does not play music. You see a list and you go play it elsewhere.
No DJ software integration. None.
Spotify only. No Apple Music, TIDAL, or SoundCloud. Apple Music has been on the roadmap for a while but is not yet shipped.

Pricing

Free. See the full Rekwest vs RequestBox comparison for context.

mySet

mySet is a song request app focused on live musicians and cover bands, with a unique bidding war monetization model.

What’s good

Bidding war model. Fans bid on requests and the highest paying request rises to the top. Multiple fans can pool money on the same song. Genuinely innovative monetization.
Free for artists. No SaaS subscription. Revenue flows from fan transactions.
Setlist focused. Built around the artist’s own song list, which fits cover bands and solo musicians who play exclusively their own material.

What’s not so good

Per request fee for fans. $1.50 plus credit card processing on every request (artist can absorb). At weddings and corporate gigs where guests expect free requests, this kills participation.
Mobile app required. Fans must download, register, and link payment before submitting.
No streaming catalog. Spotify and Apple Music search are not supported.
No DJ software integration. Not built for that workflow.

Pricing

Free for artists. Fans pay $1.50 plus card processing per transaction. See the full Rekwest vs mySet comparison for details.

How they stack up side by side

Feature	Rekwest	Lime DJ	RequestNow	NoSongRequests	RequestBox	mySet
Free tier (real, not demo)	Yes	Demo only	No	Yes (capped)	Yes	Free for artists
No app required for guests	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Spotify search	Yes	Yes	No	No native	Yes	No
Apple Music search	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
TIDAL search	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
SoundCloud search	Yes	No	No	Via Pro	No	No
Own repertoire / crates	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Serato integration	Yes	No	No	Yes (Pro)	No	No
Rekordbox integration	Yes	No	No	Yes (Pro)	No	No
Virtual DJ integration	Yes	No	No	Yes (Pro)	No	No
djay integration	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Traktor integration	Yes	No	No	Yes (Pro)	No	No
SMS based requests	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Tipping	Yes (Stripe)	Yes (Stripe)	Yes	Yes (Pro)	No	Yes (per request)
Repertoire only mode	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Kiosk mode	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Recurring events	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
White label / theming	Yes	Partial	No	No	No	No
Native macOS app	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Marketing emails	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Music Bingo	No	Yes (add on)	No	No	No	No
Lyrics & chord player	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Photo wall	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Entry price	Free	$14/month	$7/month	Free	Free	Free
Pro price	$6.99/month	$19/month	$30/month	~$10/month	n/a	n/a
Top tier price	$34.99/month	$35/month	Custom	~$20/month	n/a	n/a

Our pick: Rekwest, for the breadth of integrations and the lowest paid tier in the table at $6.99 per month. But read the next section before you decide.

So which one should you actually use?

There is no single answer. Here is the use case mapping that holds up after running these tools in real venues:

If you DJ weddings, corporate gigs, or mobile events

Pick Rekwest. Browser based guest experience, repertoire restriction so cocktail hour stays jazz only, integration into Serato or Rekordbox so accepted tracks land in your deck, and post event marketing emails to convert one wedding into the next gig.

If you want zero monthly cost

Pick Rekwest’s free tier. It includes unlimited events and requests, which RequestBox does not match (mobile app friction) and NoSongRequests Starter does not match (request cap). The free tier is the fairest comparison point in this category.

If your business is fan tips at live shows

Pick mySet for fan paid bidding wars, or NoSongRequests Pro for broad US wallet support. Both are tipping focused designs. mySet is sharper for cover band residencies; NoSongRequests is better for solo mobile DJs whose audience already uses Venmo, Zelle, or Cash App.

If you need SMS access for older crowds or unreliable connectivity

Pick RequestNow. It is the only tool in this comparison with native SMS request submission. The trade off is no streaming integration and a much higher price point.

If you run karaoke, piano bar, or engagement heavy shows

Pick Lime DJ. Music Bingo, lyrics player, audience photo album, and karaoke accolades are real differentiators. The trade off is no DJ software integration and Spotify only catalog search.

If you are throwing a casual house party

Pick RequestBox. It is free, voting works, and the lack of DJ software integration doesn’t matter when you are playing off your phone anyway.

Deeper head to head comparisons

If you have already narrowed it down to two tools, these dedicated comparison articles go deeper than this overview:

A final note

The tool that works best is almost always the one your guests will actually use. That usually means no app download, no sign up, no payment hurdle just to submit a song. Whichever platform you choose, test it on a slower night first, watch how guests interact with the QR or the SMS prompt, and pay attention to the drop off points.

If you want to try Rekwest, the free tier is genuinely usable and includes unlimited events, unlimited requests, and integrations with Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud. Sign up at rekwest.app and run your next gig with it. If it doesn’t fit your workflow, one of the other apps in this comparison probably will, and we have linked the full head to head for each.

How to Take Song Requests as a Live Band